


broken bells and new shells

by BugontheRug



Series: Misfortune Begets Love [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Injured Buck, M/M, OCs - Freeform, Pre-Slash, Worried Eddie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 12:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16492631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugontheRug/pseuds/BugontheRug
Summary: Set a month after the events of you leave me breathless(don't break my heart). Things are looking up for Eddie until he goes into work and discovers Buck is in the hospital after being injured on the job.He thought he was moving on, but when Buck needs help with the day to day, Eddie can't help but be drawn back in.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fic request from a nonnie who wanted Buck to be injured on the job and a worried Eddie taking care of him. This universe is one where Eddie is divorced and Shannon isn't in the picture. Mostly because she wasn't a thing when this started and I don't want to figure out how to bring her in.

The following weeks were tense between him and Buck. They didn’t talk unless they needed to despite Buck’s attempts to talk about “The Incident”. Eddie stayed professional, but it was enough of an issue for Cap to transfer him to another shift. Eddie didn’t mind. The people on the other shift were welcoming and he still hung out with Hen and Chim when their shifts overlapped.

It had been a month since “The Incident” and things were going well for Eddie. Christopher got into an amazing school with the help he received from Carla. His abuela was out of the hospital and doing great. And he felt like he was slowly moving on from his feelings for Buck. His sister set him up with someone from her yoga studio and they went on an amazing dinner date. Benny was beautiful, smart, funny, and really an overall amazing person. He had a great time with them and was hoping the spark would come with the more he hung out with them. They actually had a date coming up which added a spring to his step as he walked into work late. He still hadn’t gotten used to the traffic from Christopher’s new school.

He noticed everyone was crowded around the kitchen table. “Hey guys, what’s up?” he asked, walking over to his locker. 

“Eddie! Come here! Sign the get well card for Buck!” Prissy called out from the railing, waving her arms like a maniac. 

Eddie smiled and turned to jog up the steps. “What? He catch another cold?” He teased, even though he felt bittersweet pangs in his heart, remembering the fear and contentment that memory brought out.

Prissy shared a look with the others before everyone started making excuses to be somewhere else. Prissy glared at them before turning to Eddie with an uncomfortable smile.

“So, uh, haven’t been watching the news?” She tried to ask light-heartedly.

“Prissy, what happened to Buck?” All the amusement and good feelings he had before were gone, replaced with dread.

“Oh! Hen! Thank goodness! I mean, hi, how are you? Could you maybe tell Eddie what happened to Buck, since you were there and all and I only know secondhand information and what not? Ok, I’m going to go now. Byeee!” Prissy was gone in a whirlwind leaving Hen and Eddie shell-shocked in her wake.

“Well, okay then.” Hen said, turning to Eddie. “Let’s sit down.” Hen lead him over to the couch and he waited as she pulled her thoughts together. She looked tired. Her eyes were puffy. Had she been crying?

“Has Buck ever told you about the call we got about a roller-coaster breaking down?”

“Yea, that was the first time he lost someone, right? Did you guys lose someone last night?” He watched as Hen covered her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut before taking a deep breath.

“Thankfully no. But it was close. See, we got a call last night about a Ferris wheel at a traveling carnival breaking down. One of the seats came loose and was only attached on one side. By the time we got there, one woman had already fallen and was severely injured. Chim and I started to help her, but her girlfriend was still up there, hanging on for dear life. And you know Buck,” Hen smiled with a small chuckle, “Always playing the hero.”

**Eleven Hours Earlier**

“Cap, you gotta let me climb up there. The ladder won’t reach from here and we don’ t have time to wait to move it. I’ll harness her in until then.” Buck stared at Cap, all but begging. He failed last time, but he won’t this time. He can’t watch someone fall again.

“Are you sure about this Buck? You’re going to have to go up alone.” Cap was on the fence, Buck could see it in his eyes. So he gave him his winning smile and said, “I can handle it.” God, he missed Eddie. He would’ve jumped in and joined Buck on this, have his back, but Buck screwed it all up with two words. Two stupid words and he didn’t even know why they broke what he and Eddie had.

“Okay, go, but stay safe,” Cap commanded. “You feel at all unsafe, you come back down. We don’t want to have to rescue you too.”

“Don’t worry Cap. I got this.” Buck began his ascent, thankful for the reprieve from his thoughts. He’s spent the last month playing _that_ moment over and over trying to figure out what went wrong, imagining what he should’ve done instead to keep Eddie by his side.

Soon he reached the young woman. “Help, please help me!” Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she clung harder to the door of the seat.

“You’re going to be okay.” Buck knelt down, planting his back foot for support and wrapping one arm around the spoke of the Ferris wheel before reach for her. “Grab my hand. I’ve got you.” She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “I can’t!” 

“You can,” Buck assured. “What’s your name?” 

“Mira.”

“Mira, your friend down there needs you. She needs you to be strong.” Buck hoped he was getting through to her. He wasn’t as good as Cap when it came to talking people down. But he thought he was getting better. Please let him be getting better.

Her tears seemed to slow as she sniffled, “She’s not just my friend, she’s my girlfriend.” She stared at him defiantly, challenging him to say something about it. All it did was make his heart pang.

“Well, that should be more of a motivator. Your girlfriend needs you by her side. Don’t let this been the reason you’re not there.” He stretched his hand out toward her again. This time she took a breath and reached. She gripped his forearm tight with both hands and he used the Ferris wheel spoke as leverage to pull her up. Once she was with him, he fit her into the harness and attached it to the spoke. “Okay, you wait here. They’re pulling the engine around to get to you better.” 

“Thank you.” She gave him a tight hug. 

“No problem. You did the hard part here. Thank you for being strong.” He returned the hug. “Now, I’m going to see what else I can do, so just sit tight and think happy thoughts.” With that Buck started walking down the spoke towards another seat when the Ferris wheel jerked and began moving in a stuttered circle. Mira let out a surprised yell before screaming. Buck had been knocked off his feet and was falling. Maybe she was screaming for him. He could only imagine what kind of lecture Eddie would be giving him. _Why didn’t you bring a harness for yourself, Buck? Don’t you care about your own safety?_ He guessed not since Eddie always seemed to be taking care of him. But not now, not anymore. 

He finally stilled after being knocked into several spokes. Pain radiated from him, especially in his left leg. At least he could still feel his legs. His face felt he got punched repeatedly. There goes the money maker. 

His thoughts stopped flowing linearly after that. Time seemed to move at awkward intervals because suddenly Cap was there. He asked him some questions, he thought at least. Did he answer them? God, he didn’t feel good. Maybe this was it. This was how Evan “Buck” Buckley ends. “Tell Eddie I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he muttered out, tears filling his eyes thinking about how he ended without figuring things out with Eddie.

“Tell him yourself, Buck. You’re going to be okay. You hear me? You’re going to be okay.” Buck thought he nodded before nothing.

\---

“He fell off a Ferris wheel?!” Eddie yelled, standing. Adrenalin filled him, but he couldn’t do anything _now_. He should’ve been there. He should’ve been with Buck, watching his back, keeping him safe. But no. He let some stupid joke push him away. He ran his hands through his hair.

“He’s going to be fine Eddie.” Hen came and gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “The doctor said he broke an arm, a leg, several ribs, and his nose and he has severe bruising, but they expect him to make a full recovery. They’re keeping him for observation the next couple days to make sure his concussion doesn’t get worse and that they didn’t miss any internal bleeding before they’ll release him to his sister. Maybe go visit him? I think you both need it.” Hen gave him a look that he couldn’t quite decipher.

“Maybe.” Eddie shook his head. “I don’t think he’d want to see me. After everything...”

“Maybe he’ll surprise you.” Hen gave him one last pat before walking off.

Eddie sat down with his head between his hands. What was he going to do?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I lied and domestic feels will be in the next chapter because I changed when and where Eddie and Buck "talk" and "communicate" and made it its own chapter

“It’s been two days, Eddie. Stop moping and go visit your friend.” Benny urged from across the table. Eddie admired Benny’s freshly painted green nails as they covered his hand with their own. He sighed and looked around the crowded coffee shop before meeting their eyes. 

“Just, with everything that’s happened between us, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Eddie,” Benny squeezed his hand, “You fell for your kindhearted, beautiful, straight friend, but he wasn’t leading you on. You can’t keep punishing him for something that’s not his fault. Go, see him, make things right.”

Eddie removed his hand from theirs and rubbed it over his face. “You right.”

“You’ll learn that I always am, mi cariño,” They said with a wink, “Now, come. I’ll drive you.”

\---

Eddie was lead to Buck’s room, déjà vu overcoming him. How many times had he come to this hospital because of Buck? Benny said they would wait in the waiting room for him, assuring him that they’d be all right and that this was something Eddie needed to do alone.

At the doorway he could see Buck reclining in his hospital bed. His broken limbs up in slings, his head wrapped and nosed taped. Even from here he could see the mottled discoloration of his face. A splint on the fingers of his un-broken arm was making it difficult for him to use the television remote and said television seemed to be stuck on a daytime soap opera.

Eddie gave a soft knock on the door and tucked his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched, startling Buck who dropped the remote to the floor.

“Eddie,” Buck looked at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, staring long enough that Eddie wondered if it was even a good idea to come. He watched as Buck’s shock transformed into a large smile and sparkling eyes. “Man, it’s good to see you.” Eddie’s stomach fluttered as he came further in and took a seat by his bed, picking up the remote and handed it to him.

“I see you’re lost without me...babe.” Eddie gave a teasing smile that faded as he watched the smile drop off Buck’s face.”

“I’m so sorry Eddie. I don’t know what happened, why that upset you, but I won’t say it ever again. Please don’t be mad at me anymore. I don’t...when I...” Buck’s voice cracked and he squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a stuttering breath. Eddie reached for his hand, which he held onto tight. “I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to die with you mad at me.” He turned to look at him with pleading, red-rimmed eyes. “It was the worst feeling in my life.”

Eddie wrapped both his hands around Buck’s, stomach plummeting with each word. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Buck. I was dealing with my own issues and I took it out on you. I’m so sorry Buck. I should’ve been there with you. If I was there maybe you wouldn’t’ve...maybe I could’ve done something so you wouldn’t be here.” He waved a hand over Buck’s form.

“You can’t blame yourself for that Eddie. Don’t beat yourself up over the what-if’s. What happened happened and we go from there.”

“When did you get so wise?” Eddie teased. He watched Buck’s cheeks flush as he averted his gaze and tried to rub the back of his neck before remembering the splint.

“Well, you know, I’ve had a lot of time to think.”

“I’m so sorry Buck. Can you forgive me for being such a dick?” Buck’s chuckle warmed his heart making it ache like a frozen limb coming back to life. 

“Are we good?”

“Yea, we’re good.”

“Then there’s nothing to forgive.” Eddie got lost in Buck’s sincere eyes, not believing he could be so lucky. When he realized they’d been staring a bit too long, he coughed and grabbed the remote.

“Here, let me help.” He flipped through the channels trying to find a sports station.

“Hey, Eddie?”

“Hm?”

“If you ever want to talk about what happened, whatever it is you’re going through, well, I’m here for you.”

Eddie’s heart clenched. How could he have treated someone so kind and generous so awfully? How could he ever make it up to him?

“Thanks man. I don’t know if it’s something I want to talk about.”

“No problem.” 

They let a comfortable silence fall over them as they watched the football game for a bit before a nurse came in. “Hi dear, how you feeling?” 

“Same as always, Tasha. Sore and broken.” Eddie watched him give the nurse his 100-Watt smile. “But still as handsome as ever.”

“Sure thing, hon,” Tasha said with a roll of her eyes and a smirk on her lips. “Your sister is downstairs signing you out. I’ll give you a minute to say goodbye to your guest and then we’ll start unhooking you.”

“Finally! I can’t wait to be out of this torture device,” he said waving at his broken arm and leg. 

Tasha gave a small laugh as she made her way from the room. “I’ll be back in a few.”

“So, you’ll be staying with your sister?” Eddie asked once Tasha was out of sight.

“Yea, but I’m hoping to convince her to let me hire an in-home nurse. I don’t want to take her from her job since I literally can’t do anything for myself for the next couple of weeks. And between you and me, she is not strong enough to lug me around to the bathroom and I’d rather her not see my dick again.”

 _Again?_ Yeah Eddie was going to bring that up again at some point.

“Why don’t I come by and help out on my off days? I mean, worker’s comp is great, but not great enough for home care everyday for as long as you need it.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.’

“You’re not asking. I’m offering. We can talk it over with Maddie and I’m sure Christopher would love having sleepovers at your place.” Eddie had to look away as he admitted, “Christopher has been asking when you were going to come hang out with him again. He really misses you.” And didn’t that just punch Eddie in the gut every time he asked.

“Aw, dude.” Buck’s voice was soft and sad and God he was a monster for keeping the two of them apart. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

Eddie looked Buck straight in the eyes, determination to make things right flooding through him, and said, “I’m sure.”

\---

“You were gone for a while, mi cariño,” Benny greeted, standing to walk over to him. “If you weren’t so sure your friend was straight, I’d be concerned you were plotting to run away with him.” 

Eddie knew Benny was teasing, that they were trying to keep things light, but guilt crept into his chest because he knew if he was ever given a chance to be with Buck, he’d take it. _Shit._ Things with Benny, or anyone for that matter, weren’t going to work in the long term if he still had these feelings for Buck.

“With his leg? Nah. We wouldn’t make it very far.” Eddie teased back, taking Benny’s hand and leading them to the exit. “But seriously, we were talking with his sister about the logistics of me helping to take care of him on my off days.”

“I know I said to make things right with him, but are you sure you want to get this involved in his life so quickly after everything?” Benny was concerned about him. He could hear it in their voice and see it in the furrow of their brow and he was so frustrated that he couldn’t make this thing between them work

“I’m sure.”

**Author's Note:**

> Next up, some domestic feels


End file.
